The Proposition
by ericaherondale20
Summary: Clary and the gang are still mourning from Max's death and the Clave are still looking for Jonathan to no avail. Jonathan suddenly comes to Clary one day saying he has a proposition for her. If the life of her loved ones are at stake, Clary will do anything to help them...even leave. What happens to Clary and the gang? Find out!
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! New story here! Tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments series.**

Clary walked down the street to get to the Institute. As she neared the gates, she noticed a black figure leaning against the metal bars. Her hand went to the knife in her jacket and stayed there as she made her way closer. The closer she got, the more the figure seemed to be familiar. When she was but five feet away, she realized that it was the last person that she wanted to see. Jonathan.

"What do you want, Jonathan?" she spat as harshly as possible.

"Well, hello, little sister. Now is that the way you talk to your big brother?" he asked menacingly.

"You're not my brother."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I want to offer you an option that will save the lives of your loved ones." Clary narrowed her eyes at him disbelieving before he continued, "If you agree to leave New York and never see or visit them again, then I promise to leave them alone forever. So long as you keep your promise. I don't think they would survive another death in the family, do you? Not after their angel child, Max was it?" he questioned smiling.

The anger boiled inside Clary, ready to burst, as she thought of Max. She pondered over her choice before turning to Jonathan and stating, "We can take care of ourselves."

With that, she opened the gate and walked away. Before she could close the door Jonathan yelled, "I will give you until noon tomorrow."

Clary slammed the door listening to his menacing laugh. She turned around and went straight to the library thinking that is where everyone was. There were sounds of excitement coming from inside the doors so she hurried there as fast as she could.

Inside was everyone sitting on the couches in a circle and talking and laughing. Clary walked up to them only to get the end of the conversation.

"I can't wait!" Izzy exclaimed.

"For what?" Clary asked as she came up behind Jace who sat on the love seat alone.

Everyone turned in her direction, but Jace. He simply pulled her around the seat and sat her on his lap, snuggling his face in her hair while he wrapped his arms around her torso.

"Clary!" Izzy squealed.

"Hey, so what were you guys talking about?"

"We're going to Pandemonium tonight!"

"Oh, I thought that something exciting was happening," Clary said sarcastically.

"Something exciting is happening! I get to dress you!"

Clary widened her eyes and tried to jump out of Jace's embrace, but he only held her tighter.

"Jace, let me go!" she laughed.

"No, you deserve your punishment for making me wait so long for you to come back," he pouted.

We all laughed at Jace's expression before Izzy jumped up and grabbed Clary's arm dragging her towards the door. She was laughing wildly and got me out the door and down the hall into her room fast enough before I could escape. Clary went and sat on Izzy's bed, while Izzy went to her closet already ruffling for dresses for tonight. Finally, she pulled out two dresses for the girls and threw one at Clary telling her to go put it on.

Clary went into the bathroom and put the dress on. When she looked in the mirror, she was surprised by what looked back at her. The dress was tight to her body and only made it to right below her butt. It was bright red in color and it sparkled. The one strap that went across Clary's body was made of fake diamonds that sparkled when light touched them and the ruffles ran all the way to the bottom of the dress.

Clary was brought out of her haze when Izzy banged on the door demanding her presence. She stepped out and Izzy gasped at her friend.

"Clary, you look amazing! By the Angel! This has to be my best look yet! Now let get you finished, shall we?" Izzy squealed pulling Clary towards the vanity and sat her down.

After about forty-five minutes, Izzy pulled away and smiled wide looking down at Clary. Clary turned and looked into the mirror and gasped. Izzy had done her hair so that it fell in big, huge curls down her back. Her eyes looked dramatic with black and silver contrast and her lips were full with the brightest red, besides her hair, Clary has ever seen.

"Oh, Izzy! It's beautiful! I mean I'm beautiful! By the Angel! Thank you!" Clary squealed jumping at her friend who she just noticed was already ready.

Izzy wore a short black dress that reached her mid-thigh. The two straps were also filled with fake diamonds that sparkled in the light and the straight outline of the dress fit perfectly to her body.

"Thanks, Clary!" Izzy said while running to her closet, "Now you need to put these on and everything will be perfect."

Izzy gave Clary silver studded, red heels that were only four inches high and compared to Izzy's other heels, they were short. For once, Clary didn't complain about wearing heels and pulled them on without a word.

After they put a few weapons and steles into their outfits, the girls walked arm in arm back to the library where everyone was waiting for them. Once the doors opened, all conversations seized because all eyes were on the two girls that just walked in.

Izzy and Clary stared at their conspicuous other as their eyes bulged and their mouths opened in surprise. Clary walked over to Jace and wrapped her arms around his neck while he pulled her closer to him.

"I don't want you going out like that, Clary," Jace practically growled at Clary.

"Oh and why not?" she asked sweetly.

"Because I don't want other guys thinking about what I am thinking about right now, Clarissa."

Clary shivered in pleasure at the use of her full name because it meant that he was getting serious. She just pulled him down to meet her mouth instead of answering him and he was more than willing to comply.

Before things got heated Simon spoke up, "Hey, Lovebirds, can we go now?"

Clary laughed while Jace glared at the smug vampire and pulled her towards the door as the others followed snickering behind his back. The gang made their way to Pandemonium by foot and was soon walking in pairs down the street. Clary was lost in thought as she walked, but she soon saw something out of the corner of her eye and stopped. Jace stopped alongside her confused.

"Clary, what's wrong?" he asked.

She looked back at where she saw the dark figure, but there was nothing now. "Nothing just thought I saw something."

They continued walking and were soon at the entrance to the club, where they just walked in as if they owned the place. Once inside, Izzy grabbed Clary and they made their way to the dance floor. They searched for demons as they danced and soon spotted one. Izzy made her way over to it and soon brought it with her to the storage room with Clary following silently behind.

The gang soon caught up to Clary before she walked in the door to find Isabelle on the floor in a pool of her own blood and four demons standing over her.

"Izzy!" Clary screamed as she threw a Seraph blade right through one of the demon's skull.

The gang fought the other demons while Clary made her way over to Izzy and knelt down next to her taking her steele out. As Clary drew the iratze on her, she noticed a piece of paper stuck in Isabelle's dress. Clary picked it up and opened it to see what it was. Inside it read:

_Do you really think that you can protect yourselves? There's still a chance for this to stop Clarissa. 12 o'clock. Don't forget!_

_J_

Clary gasped at the note and quickly stuffed it in her dress before returning back to Izzy. She hurried to fix and pick her up so that she could get her back to the Institute. Alec took her from Clary and they began their way back. The journey seemed like a long one, but eventually they got there and set Izzy up in the infirmary where she would rest for a couple of days.

Clary stood there staring at her when Jace came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.

"I'm fine. Let's just go to bed," Clary replied.

Jace just nodded at the two made their way back to Clary's room to go to sleep. Jace pulled Clary to him and they snuggled together as they fell asleep. Clary took in as much of Jace as she could because she knew that by noon tomorrow that she wouldn't be seeing him for a very long time, until Jonathan was dead. She fell asleep that night with those thoughts in her head.

By the time that Jace woke up that morning, Clary had already gone. It was eleven forty five by the time that Clary found Jonathan sitting at a bench in the park. She walked up to him cautiously, not sure how to go by this when he spoke.

"So I see that little Isabelle is feeling a little under the weather this morning. How is she?" he teased.

"She's going to live, no thanks to you," she replied.

"Now, Clarissa, is that the way that you talk to the person who is willing to make a deal with you to help your friends and save them from their inevitable death?"

"Jonathan, just name your deal."

"Fine. I want you to leave here. Leave New York and don't return. I don't want you to see any of the Lightwoods or anyone else from New York ever again."

"What's the catch?"

"Nothing. All you have to do is keep them from seeing you and stay at another Institute or just by yourself and then I will leave them alone, forever."

Clary stared at Jonathan for a while trying to decide whether or not he was trying to fool her. When she realized that she would have to trust him on his word, she nodded.

"Good. Now go set up a portal and be gone!" he said before disappearing.

Clary looked around, but could find him nowhere. She sighed, pulled out her steele and drew up a portal. As she looked around she silently said good-bye to everything that she has ever known and to the people that she loves most.

With one last look at her home town, she stepped through the portal.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is the first chapter to The Proposition, tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments series.**

Two Months Later

"Ahhh," Jace screamed, "Where could she possibly be?"

"She has to be somewhere, Jace," Alec replied. "It's not like she could drop off the face of the planet."

"Exactly, we just have to look harder," Isabelle helped. "She's bound to be somewhere that nobody would recognize her. She would still stay in New York because it's the only place she knows. We just have to narrow it down. What places have we check in New York?"

"We've checked Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Buffalo, and New York, New York," Alec supplied.

"Okay, then let's check Manhattan and if she's not, then we'll get Magnus to try tracking her again."

Jace just stared at his adopted siblings wondering what he ever did to deserve them. It's been two months since Clary has disappeared and they haven't been able to find her. They have checked so many cities in New York that they were running out of options. They've only searched New York because was able to pin point that she was still in the state, but he couldn't get her exact location. When Jace found out that Magnus couldn't find her, he nearly killed the warlock out of anger. He still didn't understand why Clary left and that's all he's been able to think about when he's not searching for her. When they had asked for the Clave's help, they said they could not because made them swear on it and she has made allot of killings where she is and they are pleased with her. They haven't given up yet and by the way that Jace is acting, they never will.

"Agreed," Jace replied.

Later that day, they found themselves walking into a club so that they could ask any of the demons that they kill if they've seen Clary.

Jace took a demon to the back room and tied him up. Alec came in behind him with his seraph blade glinting in the fluorescent lights.

"Have you seen a short red-headed shadowhunter here recently?" Jace questioned with his voice lowering after each word.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the demon said with a scared look before he masked it with a mischievous glint in his soulless eyes.

"Oh, I think you do," Alec smiled as he dragged his blade down the demons neck allowing a trail of ichor to run down the blade. "And you're going to tell us where she is."

The demon screeched as Alec drove his blade through one of his hands. As Alec dangled the blade over the other hand, the demon yelled, "Valentine's daughter is in this place now. She comes every evening and is, in fact, very entertaining."

"What do you mean entertaining?" Jace demanded.

"I will say no more."

"Then die!" Jace yelled as he took his blade from his sheath strapped to his back and stabbed it through the demon's chest. The demon combusted and ended up as a pile of ash by the toe of Jace's boots. "Let's go out there and see if we can find her and see what he was talking about when he said something about her being entertaining."

"Jace, you need to breath. The demon said she was here so I need you to calm down enough so that you don't scare her off even we do find her. We don't know why she left, there could be a legitimate reason and if you scare her off, we might not find her again," Alec reasoned.

"How can you say that-" Jace was cut off by Izzy bursting through the door.

"Alec, Jace, I found her! She's on stage and she's amazing!" Izzy screamed excited.

"What do you mean on stage?" Jace questioned starting to move forward towards the door. When he stepped past the threshold, he knew exactly what she meant.

Clary was standing on stage with a microphone in her hand and she was singing. The best part was that she was singing their song, Still Into You. Jace listened intently as she sang each note perfect; at least to his ears the notes were perfect.

Can't count the years on one hand

That we've been together

I need the other one to hold you

Make you feel, make you feel better

It's not a walk in the park

To love each other

But when our fingers interlock,

Can't deny, can't deny you're worth it

'Cause after all this time I'm still into you

I should be over all the butterflies

But I'm into you (I'm into you)

And baby even on our worst nights

I'm into you (I'm into you)

Let 'em wonder how we got this far

'Cause I don't really need to wonder at all

Yeah, after all this time I'm still into you

Recount the night that

I first met your mother

And on the drive back to my house

I told you that, I told you that I loved ya

You felt the weight of the world

Fall off your shoulder

And to your favorite song

We sang along to the start of forever

And after all this time I'm still into you

I should be over all the butterflies

But I'm into you (I'm into you)

And baby even on our worst nights

I'm into you (I'm into you)

Let 'em wonder how we got this far

Clary got down from the stage and started walking through the crowd of people that were watching her intently. She walked around in the circle that was created for her and sang her heart out.

'Cause I don't really need to wonder at all

Yeah, after all this time I'm still into you

She closed her eyes as Jace saw them start to tear up and she brought a hand up to wipe the tears away.

Some things just, some things just make sense

And one of those is you and I (Hey)

Some things just, some things just make sense

And even after all this time (Hey)

I'm into you, baby, not a day goes by

That I'm not into you

At this point, Clary could no longer hold in her tears and she let them flow freely down her face. Even through all the tears, her voice never cracked.

I should be over all the butterflies

But I'm into you (I'm into you)

And baby even on our worst nights

I'm into you (I'm into you)

Let 'em wonder how we got this far

'Cause I don't really need to wonder at all

Yeah, after all this time

I'm still into you

I'm still into you

I'm still into you

As the last words fell from Clary's lips, she turned in my direction and gasped. Her gasp quieted down the room that had started to cheer for her and sing the song along with her. Clary locked eyes with Jace and he started to move forward after a moment so that he could get closer to her. His movement had brought her senses back to her and she dropped the microphone before turning around and running in the opposite direction.

Jace stood shocked that she would run away from him before he felt Alec and Izzy push him to go after her. He raced out the door that she exited and chased her down the busy street.

Clary pushed herself faster, trying to outrun them and get to another bar or club so that she could continue demon hunting because they wouldn't think to look for her there after already catching her at a club tonight. Once she thought that she lost them, she made her way towards Paradox, a club like Pandemonium that was constantly filled with demons.

In the club, she made her way towards the bar and watched the crowd to search for demons. Clary found one right away that was watching the girls on the dance floor.

"Oh, so your one of those," Clary whispered to herself before walking to the dance floor and getting in the middle of a grinding circle. She made all of her dance moves sultry and vulgar hoping to draw the demon's attention.

When she felt strong arms go around her waist, she backed up and grinded into the person thinking that it was the demon. When she turned around to suggest that they go to the back room, she gasped and tried to pull away.

The arms tightened around her as the man's head leaned down to whisper something in her ear. "Now Clarissa, why don't you look happy to see me? I'm your big brother after all."

"Because you're a pervert for a brother and your evil. Jonathan, let go," Clary insisted still trying to get out of his grasp.

Instead of letting her go, Jonathan pulled Clary closer to him and started dragging her towards the back room. Once inside, he grabbed her and pushed her hard up against a wall. She winced and he smiled at her pain.

"What do you want, Jonathan?" Clary spat.

"I'm here to remind you of our deal, Clarissa. The deal that you violated tonight."

"I did no such thing, sure I stayed in New York, but I haven't seen them here at all," Clary lied to her brother as the panic set in.

"Now why are you lying to me, Clarissa? I thought we had come to an agreement."

"We did, but I didn't go seeking them out I swear. They came to me. Please, just leave them alone. They didn't know what they were doing when they went searching for me. Give me another chance. I'll even leave the state and stay so far away that they won't ever find me ag-" Clary was cut off by Alec, Jace and Izzy bursting through the door breathing heavy.

"No, she is not going anywhere ever again," Jace practically screamed.

"Clarissa, it seems that they are making this very hard for you. I guess they all want to die because you refuse to play by my rules," Jonathan tsked as he backed away from the wall.

"Jonathan, please leave them alone, please. This is between you and me. I made the deal with you and I must suffer the consequences not them."

"What deal, Clary?" Jace questioned staring daggers at Jonathan.

"Clarissa and I made a deal amongst ourselves about two months ago. It consisted of her leaving behind her family and friends and staying away from them forever, never to see them again and in return, I leave her loved ones alone and never harm them. She had followed the deal until tonight when you sought her out."

"Clary, why would you do that?"

"I didn't think he was serious in the beginning. So when he approached me the first time, I told him no and he said that I would regret it. That way the day that Izzy got badly injured, I knew it was no accident and I felt so bad that I could have prevented that from happening, so I went to him and made the deal. I didn't want you guys to get hurt because of me again," Clary stood in the middle of the two sides and spoke her piece.

"That was because of Jonathan?" Alec asked enraged.

"Yes."

"Oh Clary, you shouldn't have done that. I was fine, it was just a scratch," Izzy cried.

"It doesn't matter now. Clarissa made the deal and now because she broke it, one of you must die," Jonathan started forward.

"Wait, Jonathan. This deal was made between you and me, therefore if anybody is going to fight, it's going to be between me and you," Clary demanded as she stared him down stopping him in his tracks towards them others.

"Clary, no! I won't let you do it," Jace spoke up as he started forward.

Clary simply put her hand up, stopping him, looking straight at him with a smirk and said, "What you think I can't defend myself?" As the last words rolled off her tongue, she pulled out her seraph blade so quick and threw it directly at Jonathan so fast that he didn't have time to react. It lodged itself underneath his rib cage.

His scream echoed in the small room as Clary charged with another blade already making its way into her hands. Before she could deliver the kill blow, Jonathan was transported out of the room and out of sight. Clary growled in frustration before remembering the three elephants in the room.

She slowly turned around and stared at the three people near the doorway that were staring back at her. Izzy was the first to recover and she launched herself at Clary who stumbled backwards a couple steps. When Clary recovered she squeezed back hard and felt tears prick her eyes for the second time tonight.

When she pulled away, Izzy punched her. "Ow!"

"I can't believe you! Why would you do that?! Clary, God I missed you!"

"I know, I know, but I couldn't stand the thought that I could've prevented your almost death and I didn't."

"Clary, I felt worse when you left than I did when I almost died."

"Izzy, I'm so sorry."

"Make it up to me by staying with me now and not running off again."

"I guess I can do that," Clary teased.

"You had better."

Clary turned towards Alec who had been standing there waiting quietly for Izzy to finish scolding her for running away because of her. Alec stared back at her for a moment before taking her in his arms. He held her for a long time as he tired get a hold on that she was actually there in front of him.

"Clary, I missed you. We all missed you. God, you have no idea how hard it is to stay sane in a place where everyone is almost dead with worry. Jace has been so difficult to handle through these two months and I felt his grief at losing you, Clary. It was awful. I never knew how deep his feelings were for you until he lost you. Please, don't ever do that again, I don't think that either me or Jace would be able survive it a second time," he choked out as he pulled back and looked into Clary's eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I still think that I did what was right, but I am sorry that I caused any of you any grief," Clary got out as she looked at all three of them. When her eyes landed on Jace she said, "Don't ever think that it wasn't the hardest thing that I have ever had to do."

Alec moved away from Clary as Jace and her stared at each other. Jace had watched her as she told his siblings sorry for leaving, but she had yet to apologize to him. Clary stared at Jace with longing, but waited for him to make the first move. As they watched each other, Alec and Izzy stared on at the two of them as if it was a dramatic scene from a romance movie.

Jace took one more look at Clary before he went to her at an amazing speed. He took her in his arms and swung her around all the while squeezing her to his body. Clary wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life as she was bombarded with all of the misery that she felt at leaving Jace leave her body all at the same time. She felt tears well in her eyes and fall in silent tracks down her face soaking Jace's shadowhunter gear.

When Jace finally pulled back, they looked into each other's eyes for a moment longer before smashing their lips against the other's. The kiss felt as if two parts of a whole were coming together again after being separated for all eternity.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I know I haven't updated in a while and I'm sorry for that. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments series.**

When Clary finally pulled back and looked into Jace's eyes he lifted his hands to wipe the tears from her eyes. She leaned into his hands as he continued to stare at her and pull together his thoughts that she was actually there in front of him and that he had actually found her.

"Clary, you don't know how much I missed you. Please don't ever leave me again. I won't make it next time without you. You're my rock and my Little Red. I need you in my life because without you, there is no me. We're a packaged deal now and you can't just leave your other half behind. Clary, I love you," Jace told Clary seriously.

"Jace, leaving you was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do. Sure, leaving my mom and Luke and Simon and everyone else hurt, but I felt like I couldn't function well without you and I didn't for a while. It took me a whole month before I was able to even walk to the supermarket without breaking down and crying. I love you, Jace. Don't ever doubt that," Clary whispered back.

The two stared at each other for a long time before turning back to Alec and Izzy that were still standing there staring at them with tears running down their faces.

"Oh God! I just love this family!" Izzy exclaimed wrapping her arms around Clary again.

Everyone laughed at Izzy's antics before Clary drew a portal up to head back to the Institute. They walked through hand in hand as it symbolized the start of a new beginning to the rest of their lives.

Once through, Clary was swept into Magnus's arms that were already awaiting her return. He squeezed her tight to his body as she cried once again.

When he pulled back, Magnus narrowed his eyes at her and said, "Do you know how worried I've been? I had to deal with a grumpy Jace because of you and that is not fun. When I tried to tease him, he yelled at me to keep looking for you. Seriously, Clarissa, I've never known a love as strong as the one between you and Golden Boy over there." He pointed at Jace who had a mock hurt expression shown across his features.

"I'm so sorry, Magnus. Don't worry though because I'm not going anywhere for a very long time," Clary smiled at him.

"You had better not," a voice said behind Magnus.

Clary looked around Magnus's body and saw her best friend, Simon. She took off and launched herself into his arms. Simon caught her and brought her close to his body not willing to let his friend get too far away from again. Clary could no longer hold in the tears that she was when she was hugging Magnus.

"I missed you so much, Simon," she cried.

"I missed you too, Clary. I thought I was never going to see you again. Please don't ever leave again. I don't think I would survive it next time. I would probably go on a Golden Boy killing spree next time," Simon said loud enough for Jace to hear.

Clary laughed as Jace yelled, "Hey!"

Clary pulled away from Simon as he began talking again, "Seriously, Clary, please don't ever leave again."

"I promise I won't, Simon."

"Don't worry, Simon. Clary won't even be able to go out of the house for a very long time because she's grounded for the rest of her life!" a voice said from behind Clary.

Clary turned around at a speed that would be unseen by the human eye and she rammed into her mother and Luke as they stood patiently waiting for their turn. Jocelyn had tears running down her cheeks as she hugged Clary to her and held onto her for dear life.

When Clary pulled back she said, "Mom, I'm sorry I left, but I felt that it was what needed to be done in order to keep all of you out of harm's way. It was my fault that Izzy got hurt two months and that was right after Jonathan tried to get me to agree with his deal. If I had just agreed from the beginning, then Izzy would have never been in that position. I still think that it is the best thing for me to do, but now it's too late."

"Clary, I understand why you thought that it was the best thing to do at the time, but not now. Now, we will fight him together. It is my fault he is even walking the earth and it will be at least be partly my fault that he is no longer walking it. We will do this together," Jocelyne replied.

"All of us," Luke chimed in.

Clary turned to look at the other people in the room and knew that no matter she said they wouldn't let her fight her brother alone. It felt good to have people around her once again, especially the people that she loved most in this world.

Later on that night, Clary made her way to the training room to get in some of training before she went to bed. As she walked through the doors she realized that the Institute has been quiet for a while since she left everyone earlier to go study some more runes. Clary shrugged it off and made her way over the knives that lined the back wall and grabbed a couple before making her way towards the targets for some target practice.

Clary closed her eyes and concentrated on her surroundings before launching all of her knives at once. Each one sunk deep into the center of the target board. She smiled at the progress that she has made these past two months and made her way over to the bow and arrows. Clary took a bow and sheath of twelve arrows and made her way over to back corner so that she could be far away from the dummies at the other end of the room. Clary knocked two arrows on her bow and aimed at one of the dummies' head. When she let them fly, each arrow imbedded itself in each of the fake eyes.

She continued on that way until she was finished with the twelve arrows. Clary walked over to the punching bags and threw off her sweatshirt and began to complete punch-kick combinations. Each punch and kick landed perfectly, but when Clary began to think about the upcoming battle and she began to hit with more force. She started to think about the death of Max and the almost death of Izzy and when she thought she reached her limit, Clary landed one more kick that cut the steal chain that held the punching bag in the air.

She stared at it in disbelief and when she came of her daze, she heard gasps in the background. Clary turned her head to see that everyone that had greeted her earlier was standing in the doorway looking at her in awe.

Clary finally found the ability to speak and said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to break it. That's never happened before. I thought I had control over my anger, but I guess not."

"Clary, when did you get so good at this stuff," Alec asked her.

"I had a lot of time to myself for the two months, so I trained and whenever I went I up against a demon I have been able to defeat it within a couple minutes without any back up," she said proudly.

"I don't know about that whole demon thing. You're probably just exaggerating," Jace said smugly.

"Oh, really. Why don't you come here and see if I'm joking or not, Goldilocks?"

"Clary, there is no way that you could take even after of two months of nonstop training," Jace said cocky.

"Well then let's prove it. Or are too scared to go up against me Jace?" Clary teased.

He growled and stepped up onto the training mat and Clary followed suit. Jace turned around and got in his battle stance. Clary copied and heard Izzy yell "Begin!"

Jace lunged at Clary hoping to get her off guard, but she simply sidestepped and dropped down to sweep his legs out from underneath him. She just barely missed because he jumped out of the way at the last second. Clary hopped up and he swung at her. Each time he punched or kicked, she dodged. Jace was beginning to get annoyed and as he thought of her training he remembered the one weapon she didn't practice with.

"How about we up this and use swords?" Jace asked trying to get her to yield.

"That's fine with me," Clary said already knowing what he was thinking. There was a reason that she didn't use the sword during practice and that's because she had already perfected every move that could be done with the sword and become a master at using it, but Jace didn't know that.

Jace and Clary walked over to the weapons wall and each picked their swords. Jace grabbed himself a fancy looking long sword, while Clary grabbed two short swords that fit into her small hands perfectly.

The pair walked back over to the mat and everyone watched as they faced off once again. Jace lunged first once again, but Clary blocked easily. She continued to wave her swords cutting closer and closer to Jace until she dropped once again to do a leg sweep. This time she caught his left foot as he was jumping out of the air and he went down.

Clary pointed her sword at his throat and called out, "Yield."

There was clapping from the people watching them and Jace breathed heavy staring at Clary before he smiled.

Clary helped him up and teased, "Told you so. I beat you! I defeated the mighty Jace Herondale!"

"Yeah, whatever, Little Red. I'll get you next time," he replied.

"Sure you will. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Clary walked towards everyone to say goodnight and then headed out to her room. She made her way to the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.

When she got out, Clary wrapped a towel around herself and walked into room. She stopped when she saw a dark figure on top of her bed. Clary reached behind her and grabbed the knife that she set there earlier.

"Clary, relax. It's just me," the figure said from her bed.

"Jesus, Jace! You scared me!" she yelled and set her knife back down.

Jace got up from the bed and his way towards Clary. Clary, realizing that she was still only in a towel backed up. They continued like that until Clary hit the wall and Jace was pressed up against her. Clary lifted her head to look into his eyes as he stared down at her.

"Clary, I still don't feel like you're here yet," he whispered.

"I swear, Jace, I am," Clary replied.

Jace bent his head towards her ear and whispered, "Then prove it."

Clary grabbed both sides of his face and pressed her lips to his. Jace wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She brought her hands away from his face and tugged and pulled at his golden curls. The kiss deepened as Jace picked Clary up and brought her over to the bed and laid her down. Clary gasped as Jace began to pull away the towel wrapped around her body.

Jace stopped and looked into her beautiful emerald green eyes asking a question that meant more to him than to her, "Do you trust me?"

Clary looked into his golden orbs knowing what he meant and answered, "Yes, Jace."

Jace bent down and kissed her with as much passion as he could muster and the continued into the place of no return knowing full well what this meant to both of them.


End file.
